Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-09-27
THE NEW MANS BID
INITIATING A STUDENT INTO THE
MYSTERIES OF A "OYXE."

MYSTERIES OF A "oYXE."
College Fun in the University Of vir-
CONGRATULATIONS of . Luckiess Vic.
~tim-social Amusements of the stu.
dsnts-Religiors Organization.
We first visit the rooms Of all u &C.
quaintances, and inform them OF the fact
that our new maj has a IBID, and that
he must be initiated into the mysteries Of
q dyke This project meets with gen.
eral acceptance, and preparations are
forthwith begun for this time honored and
purely local institution. Dyke is said to
be derived from a Greek verb signifying
70 ''show," TO point out"-I suppose
from the action of pointing with the right
hand at the victim as you scream, "Dyke!"
The preparations are made by procur-
ing all the old horns, some Of them six,
eight and ten feet long, that we can lay
our hands ON; all the coal s~cuttles, not in
actual use, for drums; and old clothes,
wrapped around sticks and saturated with
oil, for torches. With this ~parapher-
MALTA we collect around the door Of our
innocent friend, and, making the rest
conceal themselves behind pillars, trees
and everything else available, | 60 into
his room and watch him dress; talking all
the time in the most unexcited way posi-
bic. At last he is ready. l stay behind
to blow out the lamp as he goes out of the
door. ] hear the words, "Here he is,
boysl" Gan right" and a hurried why,
what's the natter What are you going
todoF" His questions are unheeded, and,
after a momentary halt TO give the fifty
torch bearers time to apply a match to the
combustible material on the ends Of their
poles, the prolonged shout, Dyke! dykel
dykel' is heard echoing and ~re-echoing up
and down the arcades, rousing all stu
dents, especially the new ones, from their
studies. The cry spreads like wildire,
and is taken up from room TO room,
house TO house, range TO range,
until the venerable old walls shake
with the din. Amid the shouts, the
blowing Of the immense horns, and the
beating Of tin pans, the victim, in the
hands Of his quasi friends and by the
glazing light Of Oorches, now increased to
perhaps 100, is rushed around the lawn,
around the ranges, and then up the middle
Of the campus. and is finally placed upon
the topmost step, leading to the rotunda
perch, some fifteen or twenty feet above
the sea Of upturned faces, which seems to
be so cruelty enjoying themselves at his
expense.
MAKING A SPEECH.
Some kind friend behind him takes of
his hat for him, another catches him back
Of the neck and compels him to make a
bow. The cries Of speech! speechF"
make the welkin ring and the windows in
the old dome rattle. II he is a wise young
man, he will keep silent; IL not, he will
attempt to speak; but he will never get
further than the first word, 10 be deafened
by the applause. In some ten minutes he
is considered to have had enough. The
audience take him down, put on his hat,
and rush him down the middle of the
lawn at full speed. When the house at
which the entertainment is given is
reached, the 200 men for / have fire.
quently seen that many engaged In q
dyke form a double line extending fifty
or seventy-flve yards, and the luckless
victim is rushed through by two captors,
right up into the house, little pitied by,
but affording much amusement to, the
girls assembled at the windows.
But when, despite Scylla and
Charybdis, he has safely reached
his haven, they make up for their heart
~lessness by being doubly sweet to him;
and as he wends his way homeward, some
where about the witching hour of IL, he
declares that for ouch pleasure he would
suffer it ell again.
OF the young ladies in the neighborhood,
II he isa ''calicoist" (which implies a
greater lover Of the fair sex than Of his
studies), and pursues their acquaintance,
or not, as his own sweet will may die
tate.
A german club Is generally formed in
the early part Of the year, and gives
q german about once a month,
though last year 1t gave eighteen. This
club is composed of the dancing girls Us
well as young men; the latter have TO
sign n pledge not TO drink q drop Of any
kind of liquor from IL O'Clock Of the day Of
the german until 12 o'clock the next day.
This prevents any disorderly conduct, and
makes the germans much less objections
BILE than formerly to the quiet citizens,
who were liable 10 be disturbed at all
hours by the u~proarious germanites after
the dancing was over.
SOCIETY OF THE LADIES.
Our young friend, II fond OF dancing,
JOINS, and goes In for an amusement in
which only the dancing girls engage. II,
however, he is not a disciple Of Terpsi-
chore, and Is still fond Of ladies' society,
he has an equal number Of beautiful and
accomplished girls, who will talk, walk,
ride or fiirt with him, but disapprove Of
dancing.
II our friend is not susceptible TO the
charms Of the fair sex, he is by this time
deep in his studies, getting quite inter-
ested in some ancient Greek, Latin or
Hebrew novelist, or else is just beginning
10 see the beauty Of solid geometry, law
or anatomy. II he does not care TO study,
he will find many who are only too glad
to teach him how TO spend his money, and
frequently 10 spend IL for him. But we
will not suppose our friend has such a
disposition as either TO be afraid Of the
girls or his studies. For It very fire.
quently happens that the best students do
a good deal Of ''calicoing."
About this time he is asked, either by q
friend or some person specially appointed
for the purpose, TO unite himself with the
n. M. @. A, which is the Oldest college
\. M. G. A. in the world-having been
founded In 1853 and having been kept up
ever since. II he Is a member of any es-
tablished' church, he rarely hesitates to
take advantage Of this opportunity to
show his Interest I'M join in the only re-
ligious work OF the university; for the Y.
M. G. A. is the only authorized religious
organization here.-J. b. Wilbur, IT,, In
L~ippincott's.
Virtues Of the Autiphons.
A Vantaa clerk In ono NJ tba danart.